Netflix has released the trailer for the much-anticipated comedy Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. The film stars Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams as two Icelandic singers who are given the chance to represent their country at the Eurovision Song Contest.
Ferrell co-wrote the script with frequent collaborator Andrew Steele and also served as producer. The film is directed by David Dobkin, whose previous ventures include Wedding Crashers and Shanghai Knights. The premise of the film is based on the long running TV music competition, The Eurovision Song Contest. Created in 1956, the contest puts nations from across Europe against one another and challenges them to perform an original song for a live TV performance. Memorable past winners include Sweden’s ABBA in 1974 and Switzerland’s Céline Dion in 1988.
There’s not a lot to dissect from the trailer, but it sets the film up as an underdog story in which Ferrell and McAdams will have to overcome many obstacles. The duo are forced into Eurovision when there is no one else and therefore have a lot to prove. They have no support from their country and Ferrell must prove to his strict father, Pierce Brosnan, that he is talented and can make Iceland proud.
The trailer shows Dan Stevens trying to separate the band and a wacky rivalry between Stevens and Ferrell. Dobkin captures the spirit of Eurovision in the trailer as everything is bizarre and over the top but incredibly fun to watch. With laughably bad Icelandic accents from the cast, they fit the tone of the film and add to the humour. The finishing touch was adding legendary Eurovision commentator, Graham Norton, and letting him add his British sass to the trailer.
It was originally expected to be released to coincide with the Eurovision Song Contest this year, but as the contest was cancelled due to the COVID-19 emergency, the release date was changed.
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga hits the Netflix stage on June 26.
Words by Charlie Vogelsang